MacBook Air 15" (M5) Review
M5 · 15.3″ Liquid Retina · 1.51 kg
Specdex verdict The MacBook Air 15" (M5) earns a 94/100 — flagship-tier performance with no significant weak spots, a pick we'd recommend to anyone shopping in this category.
Apple's late-2025 15″ Air — M5 chip, 16 GB base RAM, 15.3″ at 2880×1864, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and up to 18 hours of video playback per Apple.
MacBook Air 15" (M5) versus its closest rivals
- +Larger 15.3″ panel at 2880×1864
- +10-core CPU + 10-core GPU standard
- +Up to 18 hours video playback
- −Heavier at 1.51 kg
- −2× Thunderbolt 4 (not TB5)
- −No ProMotion
Who's the MacBook Air 15" (M5) for?
Quick verdicts for the most common buyer profiles, derived from the sub-scores above.
With CPU/GPU sub-scores at 92/88, this delivers headroom for sustained creative workloads — video editing, AI inference, or 3D rendering.
Battery sub-score of 95 puts this near the top of its category — full-day use without anxiety.
Mid-tier pricing at $1,299 — review whether the score-per-dollar lines up against the cheaper alternatives we recommend.
Configurations
Available options for the MacBook Air 15" (M5).
In the box
What you get when you unbox the MacBook Air 15" (M5).
- Laptop
- 65-100W USB-C charger
- Power cable
- Quick-start guide
Standard contents — region/SKU may vary; confirm at retailer.
Full score breakdown
Editorial · Specdex scoreSub-scores are Specdex's own assessment, weighted by category. They are not endorsed by, sourced from, or affiliated with the manufacturer. How we score →
Specifications
Verified against Apple · 2026-05-11| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Display | 15.3″ IPS LED, 2880×1864 at 224 ppi |
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| RAM | 16 GB unified (base) |
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Battery (video) | Up to 18 hours |
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Battery (web) | Up to 15 hours |
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Storage | 512 GB / 1 / 2 / 4 TB SSD |
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | 1.51 kg |
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| OS | macOS 16 |
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Chip | Apple M5 chip (10-core CPU, 10-core GPU) |
| Ports | MagSafe 3, 2× Thunderbolt 4, 3.5 mm |
MacBook Air 15" (M5) generations
Side-by-side with the products it replaced and what comes next — the comparisons people actually search for.
Cheaper alternatives to the MacBook Air 15" (M5)
Same category, at least 20% cheaper, best-scoring picks from our catalog.
Step up from the MacBook Air 15" (M5)
Higher-scoring laptops if you've got more to spend.
More from Apple
All Apple products on Specdex →
Also consider
Where the MacBook Air 15" (M5) appears on Specdex
Curated lists, spec rankings, and buying guides where this product is mentioned or ranked.